


Chasing The Inevitable

by scream_tears



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Future, Alternate Universe - Miraculous Ladybug Fusion, Lucky Charm And Miraculous Ladybugs Cure | Ladybug Miraculous Superpowers, Lucky Charm And Miraculous Ladybugs Cure | Ladybug Miraculous Superpowers Don't Fix Everything, Next Generation, miraculous - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 06:42:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28881153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scream_tears/pseuds/scream_tears
Summary: Fourteen years after the mysterious disappearance of the miraculous holders, a new Hawk Moth threatens the city, causing the heroes to come out of retirement in order to fight. Follow the daughter of Adrien and Marinette as she uncovers her parents secret whilst trying to hide a secret of her own.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	1. S1/E1: Sandstorm

"Emma, breakfast!" Adrien shouted, popping his head around the corner of the kitchen door so the stairs were in sight. Before long those bright blue sneakers were rushing down the stairs, his daughter ensuing.

"Pancakes?" Emma asked, taking a deep breath in and she smelled the sweet aroma of baked goods. It was almost as good as the smell that emanated from her grandparent's bakery.

"Grandpa Tom decided it was about time you had some, and I quote, proper breakfast," he started, placing the syrup on the counter as she took a seat. "Apparently cereal isn't good enough."

Emma smiled impishly, digging into the stack of pancakes drizzled in golden syrup. "Are they as good as Mum's?" She asked shyly, glancing up at Adrien's expression.

"I don't think I'll ever taste pancakes as good as your Mum's." Adrien explained, to which Emma nodded before returning to her meal. Before long the two had finished and were collecting the last of their things.

"Hey, Dad?" Emma perked up, throwing her backpack over her shoulders as she picked up her folders.

"Yes, Emma?"

"I have an assignment I was hoping you could help with," Emma continued as she locked the door to their house and followed Adrien to the car.

"Isn't that cheating? Considering I'm a teacher and all?" Adrien laughed, starting towards the school where he worked and his daughter studied. Despite his head start in the fashion industry, Adrien had decided to get out of his father's shadow and follow his dream of a quiet life with his best friend. Emma was an added bonus.

"No, it's merely taking advantage of my resources. Plus, you were around when the whole thing happened."

"And what would the whole thing be?"

"The disappearance of Ladybug and Cha-" Emma stopped mid sentence, her body throwing itself forward as she pressed her hands to the dashboard. The high pitched screeching pierced her ears as she slowly turned to face her father.

Adrien hands were tight against the wheel, his knuckles turning white from the pressure. He had pressed his foot recklessly on the brake, causing the car to holt.

"Dad?" Emma muttered, nudging Adrien in the arm in an attempt to gain his attention. Instead, his eyes remained fixed to the empty road beyond them, completely oblivious to the impatient honking from the driver's behind them. "Dad, you're scaring me!"

Adrien's gaze snapped towards his daughter, softening at the sight of her teary eyes. "Sorry," he whispered, turning back to the road as he drove off. Soon enough they were pulling into the school's parking lot, Adrien having remained quiet for the rest of the journey.

"I didn't mean to upset you," Emma stated at she climbed from the car, watching her Dad in concern.

"You didn't upset me," he replied, to which Emma raised an eyebrow, reminding her Dad that she knew him better than he knew himself. "It was a strange time, Em. We'll talk about it when you're home."

With that he left, turning the corner in order to park his car in the teacher's lot. Emma glanced back at the grey Renault a final time before heading inside the archaic building.

Adrien, however, remained in his car.

"Kid, you need to breathe," Plagg affirmed, zooming from Adrien's bag to the steering wheel.

"What do I do, Plagg? I can't tell her what happened because I don't even know what happened," Adrien cried, pressing his head to the leather wheel. "Marinette would know what to do."

Plagg sighed, resting against Adrien's hand. The blond looked up, smiling weakly at the sight of his closest friend.

"You should head inside," Plagg added, to which Adrien nodded slowly. For now he'd have to put his feelings aside and get on with the school day.

It wasn't long until Plagg had returned to his hiding spot and Adrien was making his way into the building. As always, he detoured past Emma's classroom on his way to his own. Emma perked up at the sight of her father grinning through the glass and waved back at him eagerly before settling back into her seat.

Beside her was Teo, or, more infamously known, as her best friend. For as long as she could remember it had been just her and Teo against the world. After the accident, Adrien had relied on Nino and Alya as his first port of call, for two things in particular. One, comfort. Two, baby help. They just happened to have their own son a few months after. Which left Teo and Emma being raised like siblings.

"Good morning, class," the teacher expressed, her eyes glancing over the class, most likely confirming everyone was here. "I'd like to introduce a new student. Everyone, this is Brigitte Germaine."

"I recognise her from somewhere," Emma whispered, leaning closer to Teo.

"I'd be surprised if you didn't. She's the daughter of Eli Germaine, you know, the singer?"

Emma nodded in reply, only her gaze was fixed on the newbie. With her preppy outfit and straight blonde hair, it was no wonder she came from fame. The real question was, what was she doing in a public school?

"Brigitte, you can sit next to Maelle," Miss Alah added, pointing to the table in front of Teo and Emma.

Emma turned my gaze to Maelle who was too consumed in a drawing to notice her new table buddy.

"Okay, let's start. I'm giving you all time today to work on research for your group presentation. Remember you need information and pictures as well as interviews where possible. Brigitte you will be joining Maelle's group with Emma and Teo. They will fill you in on the rest. Off you go."

By this point Maelle had started paying attention and both she and Brigitte had turned to face their table.

"We should start by filling Brigitte in," Emma began, smiling brightly, "our assignment is based on a pair of superheroes from just over a decade ago."

"Fourteen years," Teo confirmed with a nod.

"From just before most of us were born. They had been around for more than a decade by that point when they both disappeared."

"The male super hero," Maelle cut in, "Chat Noir, he remained around for a few weeks after the disappearance of his partner, Ladybug, but soon enough he went dark too."

"Paris was in riots about the disappearance. They were concerned about Hawk Moth, the villain, attacking again," Emma explained, to which Brigitte nodded.

"Only he never did," Teo shrugged, placing his chin in his hands. "The whole thing just faded. Everyone forgot about it and carried on with their lives."

"People still believe the remaining superheroes are still out there, waiting for the next attack, but I'm not sure how much of that I believe," I added curtly.

"These superheroes, how old were they when they first started?" Brigitte asked, glancing between the printed picture and the group.

"They were rumoured to be around fifteen."

"So what are your theories?"

"I think they finally defeated the bad guy," Teo explained, rubbing the back of his neck, "I wouldn't want to think of the alternative."

"Something must of happened. It's like your Mum, Emma, she didn't just disappear, did she?" Maelle questioned, watching Emma closely. Brigitte perked up at this, waiting for a reply.

"I-uh-"

"So I was talking to my mum," Teo declared, saving Emma from the unknown answer to that dreaded question, "and she said she used to blog about the pair back in high school."

"Like a website?" Maelle asked, intrigued.

"Yeah, she had interviews from the superheroes and even exclusive information. There might be something in there about the disappearance." Teo affirmed, pulling the tattered piece of paper from his pocket; on it scribbled the web address.

"Maelle, did you manage to get anything from your parents?" Emma questioned, circling the third step on their checklist.

"Mum and Dad were stationed in Italy at the time," she replied, shrugging. "What about you? Did you manage to speak to your Dad? He'd have been around for the whole decade, right?"

"I asked him this morning, but it didn't really go down well..."

"And by that you mean?"

"I mean he nearly caused a car crash at the mere mention of their names."

Teo's face dropped, watching me in concern, "that's not like your Dad. He's usually open with you."

Emma shrugged, brushing it off. Maelle and Brigitte took it as a sign and carried on filtering through the checklist, whilst Teo pried for an explanation.

"This is about your Mum, isn't it?" Teo whispered, turning his back to the girls as he directed the question at Emma. She sighed, reciprocating his actions as she leaned closer.

"The disappearance of Ladybug happened around the same time as the disappearance of my Mum," Emma mumbled cautiously.

"You think they're linked?" Teo asked, concerned.

"Maybe. It feels like we're missing something. Something big."

Teo and Emma soon rejoined the group, continuing their research in silence.

"Okay class, I'd like to say a huge well done on your progress today. I'm eager to see how your final projects turn out." Miss Alah exclaimed, clapping her hands together as she gained the attention of the class. "Remember the deadline in next week. You will need to have collected all your research and arranged a presentation to perform in front of the whole class. This will be 25% of your grade. Enjoy the rest of your day, class dismissed."

Emma and her group collected their things together, each deciding on a task to complete by their next lesson. Soon enough they were walking their separate ways, Emma and Teo making their way over to the bakery opposite the school.

"So what are you going to do about your Dad?" Teo asked, following Emma as she crossed the road.

"I'm not sure. You know what he's like with my Mum, he won't even speak her name," Emma explained, worry lacing her expression.

Teo nodded, agreeing. "You never know, you might have just surprised him. Just mention it again and see how he reacts."

The pair put the conversation on hold as they entered the bakery, the old bell ringing shortly in tow.

"Emilie!" Tom called, running over to his beloved granddaughter and lifting her into the air. She laughed, breathing in the sweet aroma of freshly cooked pastry.

"Papa, how are you?" Emma exclaimed, grinning as he finally placed her down and turned to hug Teo.

"Better now I've seen you," he chuckled, handing the pair a croissant.

"And Grandma? How is she today?" Emma added; Tom's smile dropping almost instantly.

"That's nothing you need to be worrying about," he quickly replied, returning to his macaroons.

Emma nodded, deciding not to pry any further. Instead, her and Teo excused themselves, deciding to eat their lunch in the park. Emma sat down, glancing around the park in admiration. From children grinning to adults quickly finishing their lunch before returning to work, everyone was saving the quiet moment. There wasn't a soul without a grin adorning their lips.

That was until the scream.

Emma and Teo jumped up, running over to the children's slide as people began running away in fear. The pair narrowed their eyes, inspecting the features of the man stood bitterly in the children's sand box.

"I am Sandstorm! Bow down to me or suffer my wrath!" The masked man yelled, raising his hands as sand whirled around him.

Simultaneously, Rena Rouge and Carapace landed on a rooftop above, inspecting the situation.

"Well this is new," Carapace taunted, crouching down beside his partner.

"Straight from work I see," she joked, shaking her head.

"Chat?" Carapace asked, to which the two exchanged a look before turning back to the akuma.

"Is that Teo and Emma?!" Rena yelled, pointing at the two children running from the sand storm.

The pair jumped down, diving towards the two teens in danger of being engulfed by the perilous wave of sand. They each grabbed a teen, rushing them to safety in a near by alley way.

"Rena Rouge and Carapace!" Teo yelled exictedly, his eyes wide with amazement.

"You're a fan?" Carapace questioned, to which Rena elbowed him the stomach, shooting a glare in his direction. "Of course you're a fan. I'm brilliant."

"You're safe now, go straight home," Rena added, turning to leave.

"No! My dad, he'll be looking for us!" Emma gasped, the two heroes frowning down at her.

"We'll find him and tell him we sent you home," Rena assured, smiling at Emma reassuringly.

"His name is Adrien Agreste. He's a Physics-"

Emma sighed, the two heroes disappearing from the dark alley.

"They'll find him. I know they will," Teo affirmed, placing his hand in Emma's. "Come on, let's get home."

Rena stood up from the roof top, running back towards the battle after confirming Emma and Teo were out of danger. As much as Paris was a priority, her son and Emma were hers.

"Did they leave?" Carapace asked, running at Rena as he shielded her from the sand, plummeting in her direction.

"Yes, it's us I'm concerned about. Do you think we can do this without Chat Noir?" She shouted creating an apparition to temporarily distract the akuma.

"We could barely do it with Chat Noir. You know who we need."

"I can't find him!" Another voice shouted, jumping down beside the pair. "I can't find Adrien anywhere."

"It's okay, Chloe, you tried," Rena replied, smiling weakly at her black and yellow striped friend.

"What now?" Queen Bee asked, activating her venom as the trio hid behind Carapace's shield.

"Hold him off for as long as possible?" Carapace suggested, wincing at another hit of sand.

Suddenly, the trio looked up, furrowing their brows at the sight. Stood, hand on hips in front of the akuma, was a turquoise figure. The skin tight suit adorned her every curve; her blonde hair falling upon her shoulders. Her mask revealing her deep blue eyes.

"And who would you be?" The akuma cackled, contorting his face at the sight of the unknown heroine.

"Your worst nightmare," she grinned, grabbing a toy truck from the ground. She activated her powers, pressing her hand against the piece of plastic. Almost instantly is shifted into a bucket of water, to which the heroine through at the sandman. He dissolved into the ground in time for her to grab his mask and break it in half.

Carapace rushed over, catching the akuma in a glass jar before turning to the victim.

"What happened?" The man asked sadly, rubbing his head.

"There was an akuma attack. You're safe now," Carapace assured, helping the man to his feet. He nodded, thanking the four heroes before rushing off to find his family.

"That was awesome!" The girl proclaimed, grinning at the trio. Her frown dropped as the group crossed their arms over their chests, watching her seriously. "Or not?"

"Who are you?" Rena asked, waiting patiently for a reply.

"I'm Libellule... dragonfly..." The girl defended sadly.

"Where did you get your miraculous?" Queen Bee interrupted, stepping closer to the teen. She couldn't have been any younger than they were when they first began.

"It was a gift from my Grandma," Libellule explained, "I understand if you don't need me."

"No, no, you were great today. Your powers saved that man." Carapace added, smiling at the girl.

"Thank-" she started, only to be interrupted by the beeping of her pendant. "I should go."

"Don't want to transform back," Rena hummed, reminding herself of the times when they transformed back a short five minutes after using their miraculous.

The girl smiled, nodding at the trio before taking off over the rooftops of Paris.

"We should get back to Teo and Emma," Rena added, glancing over at Carapace.

"I'll come with you. I need to speak with Adrien anyway." Queen Bee added, following the pair to their house. They detransformed in the alley way over the road, rushing over to find the two teens finishing their homework in the kitchen.

"Mum, Dad, you'll never believe what happened!" Teo exclaimed, jumping up and running over to his parents.

"We rushed over as soon as we heard, are you both okay?" Alya asked, pulling her son into her embrace.

"Rena Rouge and Carapace saved us! They're back, they're actually back!"

"That's great, kid," Nino smiled, ruffling Teo's hair, "Emma, you okay?"

"Dad..." She muttered, frowning.

"I'm going to go and pick Maison up now, so I'll stop by your house and see if he's there," Chloe started, hugging the brunette tightly, "stay with Aunt Alya and Uncle Nino for now, okay?"

"It's my fault," Emma cried, holding Chloe tightly. "I asked him about Ladybug and Chat Noir, and then the attack happened. I did this."

"No, Emma, this isn't your fault," Alya whispered, crouching in front of the teen. "We'll find Adrien, we always do."

Emma nodded, reminding herself that this wasn't the first time he had disappeared. Usually it was when Emma mentioned her mother, but the famous heroes seemed to be just as much of a trigger.

Teo managed to persuade Emma to play Ultimate Mega Strike 6 whilst Chloe took her leave. Paris was writh with worry and panic as the day faded away, but for now the heroes rested, the identity of the new heroine unknown.


	2. S1/E2: Testra

After staying with Teo for a few hours Emma returned home to Adrien, Chloe having spent most of that evening looking for him. Where she found him was off limits as far as Emma was concerned, but that didn't stop her from wondering.

Woefully, she tied the laces to her blue sneakers before making her way downstairs. Adrien was sat dejectedly at the kitchen table, staring down at his cold coffee and buzzing phone.

"Dad?" Emma asked, to which Adrien didn't respond. He was too lost in his own world to even notice her. "I wanted to say sorry, for upsetting you."

He remained frowning at his phone screen as it rang again with another call. Emma sighed, collecting her bag and coat as she took her leave from the house, deciding it was easier to just leave him. Alya was waiting for her outside anyway, having promised to drop her off at school with Teo on her way to work.

"How is he?" She asked as Emma slumped down in the seat beside Teo, frowning.

"Quiet," she replied instantly, knowing that Alya already knew the answer.

Alya nodded, shooting one last glance at the house before driving away. It wasn't long until she was leaving the pair at school and racing to work. Having left early the day before meant she had a lot to catch up on, especially considering the whole return of Hawk Moth. For the time being they were just speculating. No one really knew what was happening, even Rena Rouge.

Shortly after leaving the teens, Chloe called Alya having just dropped her own son, Maison, off at school. "Did Emma say how he was this morning?"

"He's ignoring her again, Chlo," Alya replied, the annoyance clearly apparent in her voice, "she doesn't deserve this. Tom is pushing her out because of Sabine getting sicker, and her Dad won't even talking to her about her Mum who, in her eyes, abandoned her as a baby. It's not right. Marinette wouldn't want any of this."

"I know, Alya, but we have to remember the life they lived. Have you and Nino gotten any closer to finding her miraculous?"

"She was wearing it when the accident happen. It could be anywhere," Alya answered honestly.

"We can't keep hiding akumas at the Agreste Manor, if Adrien finds out.."

"I know, but there isn't much else we can do, Chloe. There isn't exactly room with you, and Nino and I are struggling for space as it is with Emma staying most weeks."

Chloe sighed, knowing too well Alya was right, "we need to talk to Adrien."

"Assuming he'll actually talk to us. We haven't gotten a straight answer out of the guy in years."

"I'm going to stop by on my lunch. Can you check in with the kids?"

"I was planning on it anyway. I'll speak to you later, okay?"

The pair ended the call, and Alya made her way into her office building whilst Chloe got back to running the hotel. Meanwhile, Teo and Emma were continuing their project for school.

"Emma?" Maelle whispered, watching her friend in concern as she stared at the door. Emma glanced between the trio, smiling weakly.

"Sorry, I was just day dreaming," she affirmed, opening her folder as she found herself staring at a picture of Ladybug and Chat Noir.

"What were you thinking about?" Maelle questioned, glancing between Emma and Teo as they exchanged a look.

"I-uh, I was just thinking about how neither Ladybug or Chat Noir turned up to yesterday's fight," Emma explained quickly, to which Teo nodded in agreement.

"Did you here about the new superhero?" Brigitte asked, glancing around the group for a reply, "she seems cool, right?"

"Powers of transformation could be useful. Though it's weird she's so young. From what we read there hasn't been a new miraculous holder since long before the disappearance." Emma added, shrugging.

"Maybe she got it from somewhere else?" Maelle suggested.

"You mean from someone other than Ladybug."

"It's reasonable assumption. There's hundreds of miraculous. I wouldn't be surprised if some were even family heirlooms."

Emma nodded, scribbling down the idea. "Brigitte, did you find anything on the Ladyblog?"

"Alya Cesaire is a gifted journalist for starters," she began, smiling at Teo, "she had many theories about the miraculous, but nothing about the disappearance. The last post was a week before the accident."

"She didn't even mention it?" Teo asked, taking the laptop and in order to look for himself. "I'm not the only one who thinks that's weird, right?"

"The whole city was grieving, I don't really blame her for not wanting to write about it," Brigitte added.

"True. I thought the Ladyblog would be a solid lead. We're getting nowhere," Teo sighed, shaking his head.

"We need an inside source. A private interview with one of the heroes. They'll know more about what happened than we do." Maelle explained; everyone else agreed. Little did they know the infamous heroes were just as oblivious as they were.

"Only that is virtually impossible. They've appeared once in the last fourteen years and they disappeared seconds after defeating the akuma," Emma countered, frowning

"And we only have a we-"

"AKUMA!" A shaking older student yelled, bursting through the classroom door. The class froze, turning to Miss Alah for guidance.

"Okay class, remain calm. We're going to evacuate the building in a sensible manner and head straight home," Miss Alah instructed, guiding people from the classroom in pairs. Teo and Emma rushed out behind Maelle and Brigitte. 

"Two days in a row?" Emma asked, glancing at Teo, "was this the norm?"

Teo shrugged, following the other students out of the building. Emma watched in confusion as Brigitte ran off towards the locker room, but pushed the thought aside when Teo began tugging her hand. 

"My name is Testra! No test should be cancelled!" The akuma shouted, standing at the top of the staircase as she pointed down towards Emma's class. Raising the stack of paper in her hands, she began throwing them at Emma's friends, causing them to start answering the test against their own will.

"Stop!" Emma yelled recklessly, running in front of Maelle. The akuma froze, it's hand dropping at once. "This is wrong. Just because you're upset, doesn't mean you should take it out on everyone else!"

"Yes, Papillon," the akuma replied, passing the trio before disappearing into the street. 

"Hey, isn't that the new heroine?" Maelle shouted, pointing at the turquoise character who was staring at Emma in disbelief.

"It's Libellule; you should get to safety before the akuma changes it's mind," Libellule answered before taking off into the street, tailing the akuma.

"We should get out of here," Teo spoke up, pulling at Emma's hand.

"She listened to me..." Emma mumbled, staring at Teo in shock. "And who's Papillon?"

"Maybe it's the new Hawk Moth?" Maelle questioned.

"Maybe," Emma started, glancing down at her fellow classmates, "I just wish their was something we could do for everyone else."

"The heroes will fix everything," Teo assured, "I promise."

Whilst the three held out hope, Libellule chased after the akuma, attempting to figure out where it's akuma was hiding. Whilst it was obvious with Sandstorm, it's a little more discreet this time around.

"Was that akuma coming from the school?" Rena Rouge asked, jumping down behind Libellule. 

"Yes; everyone there is either safe or answering a test," Libellule replied, pushing Rena behind a car as Testra through a test in their direction. "You need to avoid her hits!"

"Sorry," Rena replied, assuring herself that Teo and Emma were safe.

"Sorry, I got held up," Queen Bee exclaimed, activating her pollon as she dropped down beside Rena. "Akuma ideas?"

"The pen in her right hand," Libellule suggested, dodging a stack of papers, "the question is how to get to it."

"You can turn an object into anything you want, right?" Rena asked, glancing over at Libellule who nodded, "how about a magnet?"

"I can try," Libellule nodded, grabbing the ice-cream scooper from the cart and transforming it to magnet. She aimed it at Testra, tearing the pen from her hand. Queen Bee somersaulted, snatching it from the air and breaking it in half. The black akuma emerged from the pen in time for Rena to trap it in another glass jar. 

"Not bad, newbie," Queen Bee grinned, fist bumping Libellule.

"I have a few questions for you both, if you have time."

"We can spare a few minutes," Queen Bee replied; Rena agreeing.

"Ladybug used to repair the city after deakumatizing the butterflies, so one, what happens about the damage, and two, where are you storing the butterflies?"

"One, we're trying to cause as minimal damage as we can, and two, that's on a need to know basis," Rena answered, crossing her arms over her chest.

"So you don't know where Ladybug is?"

"That isn't what I meant," Rena defended, frowning at the teen.

"But you don't, and you probably don't know where Chat Noir is either."

"We have places to be, kid. We don't have time for these games."

Libellule reached out to apologize but the two heroines were running away before she could. Soon after her pendant began beeping stopping her from following the pair. Sighing, she ran into an alley, detransforming.

"Is everyone okay?" Brigitte asked, approaching the front of the school building as her class began to filter out.

"We're all fine," Emma replied, smiling weakly at the blonde, "where did you get to? I saw you run off to the locker room."

"I took the fire exit leading into the back alley," Brigitte replied quickly, nodding.

Emma accepted the excuse, turning to face Maelle and Teo as they approached. Just as Teo stepped forward to speak, two people began shouting their names as they ran up to them.

"Teo! Emma! Thank god you're okay!" Alya exclaimed, pulling the pair into a hug. "We came as soon as we heard."

"We're fine, Aunt Alya," Emma replied impatiently, stepping out of Alya's grip, "the superheroes saved the day, remember?"

"More than you think," Chloe mumbled, to which Alya nudged her in the arm. "I mean, we were stuck in traffic down the road."

Brigitte watched the exchanged closely, the pair reminding her of two others she happened to know.

"Let's get home, yes?" Alya interrupted, smiling blythely at the teens. 

"I'm going to find Maison," Chloe added, tapping Emma on the shoulder reassuringly, "I'll meet you at the car."

"Hey, Emma!" Maelle called, jogging after Emma in order to catch up. Emma stopped in her tracks, insisting that everyone carried on whilst she spoke to Maelle.

"What's up?"

"I wanted to thank you for earlier. I'd have been sitting a test if it wasn't for you, so I'm grateful," Maelle confessed, throwing her arms around Emma as she pulled her into an embrace. Emma smiled, hugging her back.

"I'm just glad we're all okay."

Maelle nodded, grinning, "I'll see you tomorrow."

With that Emma took her leave, finding Chloe and Maison having already made their way to the car. With the adults in the front and the teens in the back, they set off for Emma's.

"I haven't seen much of you both recently," Maison began, running his hands through his messy blond locks. I rolled my eyes, knowing we'd have to converse.

"Probably because we avoid you."

"We avoid Camille," Teo corrected, to which Emma sighed.

Maison nodding, knowing too well how his girlfriend treated the pair. "She's had a rough year."

"And I've had a rough life," Emma retorted, frowning, "it's no excuse."

"I heard what happened with your dad, I'm sorry I wasn't there." 

Emma shrugged it off, deciding to watch the city pass by for the next of the journey. When they did arrive, Nino's car was already on the drive way, just beside her father's. Eager than before, she rushed inside to see if he was feeling any better than this morning.

"Dad?" Emma shouted, running past the kitchen as she bee-lined for the living room. "Dad!"

"Emma, are you okay?" He asked, sauntering over to her in order to check for cuts and bruises. She smiled brightly, throwing her arms around his waist.

"I'm fine," she replied eagerly.

"I owe you an apology for this morning," Adrien began, his hands remaining at Emma's shoulders. "And last night. I shouldn't have left you like that."

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have mention those heroes. It was stupid."

Adrien shook his head, smiling weakly, "it wasn't stupid."

"No, it was. I knew you didn't like to talk about the past and I asked anyway. It was my fault."

Adrien opened his mouth to counter her point, only Alya interrupted. 

"We're going to get started with dinner, if you two feel like helping," she affirmed, smiling at the duo. She hovered for a little while, confirming the pair were okay before disappearing once again.

"We should probably help. Take your stuff upstairs first, okay?"

Emma nodded, promising to run her things upstairs before she did anything else, so that's what she did. Only, on the way into her bedroom she tripped over the ovular box filling her door way. Gaining her footing, she turned back to the spotted box, frowning at the odd shape. On it lied on tattered piece of paper and a small octagonal box. Just as Emma crouched drown in order to expect the three items, Teo shouted up to see what was taking her so long. She quickly pushed the items aside, joining her family in the kitchen as they each completed a task. It wasn't long until she was roped into cutting cucumber, alongside Teo cutting tomato and Maison cutting lettuce. 

"Alya, did you manage to talk to Chloe about that client you were having issues with?" Nino asked, taking a seat opposite the pair at the dinner table. Teo and I sat beside him, eager to start eating.

"Yeah, we spoke," Alya replied with a smile, "she's going to talk it over with them and see what she can do for me."

"What about you Nino, how's work going?" Adrien asked, interrupting.

"We've been talking a lot about the attacks. It's hot gossip these days," he explained, taking a bite of his chicken.

"How often did attacks occur when you guys were kids?" Emma asked, glancing between the adults.

"There wasn't really a pattern to it, but rarely a day went by that no one got akumatised."

"So it was bad?" Emma asked, frowning.

"Were you ever akumatised, Dad?" Teo asked, watching Nino impatiently.

Nino and Alya exchanged a look as Chloe stepped in to answer. "Many innocent people were akumatised. All of us have been at one time or another."

"Were you, Dad?" Emma questioned cautiously, to which Adrien looked up in surprise, having excluded himself from the conversation. 

"Yes," he replied vaguely before returning to his food.

The group took the hint and changed the subject, instead talking about the new show Teo and Emma had been watching. Not much later, Alya, Nino and Teo were talking their leave, shortly followed by Chloe and Maison.

Emma returned to her room that evening, falling to sleep within seconds of laying down. The box and everything else that day, drifting from her mind.


	3. S1/E3: Striker

"We should talk about the project," Emma explained, looking to Teo for agreement before sitting down in front of Maelle and Brigitte. "The presentation is a few days and we still don't know what we're going to talk about."

"Yes, and there's not point of even trying to get an interview with the heroes because they have just as good an idea as we do," Brigitte affirmed, picking at her croissant half-mindedly.

Emma and Teo exchanged a look before turning back to Brigitte, "how would you know?" They asked simultaneously.

"I-uh, just a theory. The way they've been fighting the recent akumas is enough of a guess."

"All I'm hearing is another dead lead," Maelle interrupted, taking a bite of her carrot.

"Can someone remind me how you ended up with such an estranged topic?" Brigitte added, raising her brow quizically.

"About that," Emma confessed, pulling a face, "I kinda–sorta insisted on having the harder one."

"Why does that not surprise me?" Brigitte laughed, shaking her head at Emma.

"I like a challenge, okay?" Emma defended, pouting back at the blonde.

"We're still not any closer," Maelle affirmed, turning their attention back to the group. "We need to figure something out."

"We don't even know if Chat Noir is still around," Teo countered, "I know, what it they decided to retire?"

"And leave Paris without heroes?"

Brigitte shook her head, disagreeing with Teo, "I don't think that's what happened. These heroes were committed. Ladybug never missed a fight."

"Maybe the answer is within their identities. We have no way of knowing what happened in their personal lives." Emma argued.

"I did read on the Ladyblog that Ladybug had stopped taking hits a few months before her disappearance. The suit hid it well, but she was rumoured to have been pregnant."

"So what if she retired to raise her child?"

"It's still just a theory," Teo sighed, taking a drink of water woefully.

Emma frowned, knowing he was right, "everything we know about them is just speculation."

"Let's start with what we do know," Maelle exclaimed, sitting up as she pulled the folder from her bag. "We know that Ladybug and Chat Noir had some sort of relationship with one another."

Emma nodded, "we also know that they knew each other's identities, and probably the other heroes too."

"We knew they were working on a project of some sort before Ladybug disappeared during an attack."

"An attack that otherwise seemed normal," Brigitte added, agreeing.

"We know that the akuma attacks ended with Ladybug, but Chat Noir didn't disappear until at least three weeks later."

Teo declared, "and we know that some sort of exchange has occurred in the last fourteen years because there's a new Hawkmoth."

"And a new hero," Emma affirmed, smiling.

"Repeating what we already know isn't going to reveal anything," Teo frowned, glancing around the group.

"I was hoping we'd reach the end and someone would make another suggestion," Maelle laughed weakly.

"If Ladybug wasn't pregnant a few months before the disappearance, wouldn't that mean her child would be around our age?" Emma asked, glancing up at the group. They each exchanged a look before nodding.

"There's hundreds of kids our age in Paris, Emma, not too mention we'd have no idea where to start."

"We don't even know if Chat Noir is still in Paris, never mind having his child here," Maelle argued dejectedly.

"Maybe the new hero is their kid," Emma shrugged.

Brigitte shook her head, interrupting, "I don't think so. We'd know if it was Chat Noir's daughter."

"I mean, what if she doesn't know?" Maelle suggested, to which Brigitte snorted, coughing on her food.

"She's not wrong. I know I'd keep my identity from my family and friends, so I wouldn't put it passed Chat Noir to do the same." Emma explained; Teo agreed.

"I don't know what I'd do if my parents were superheroes," Teo joked, shaking his head.

"Your Dad would totally be Carpace though," Emma laughed, "and I bet your Mum would be an epic Queen Bee."

"No way! My Mum would be Re–"

"Rena Rouge!" Another kid shouted from across the hall, darting the group's attention to the heroes standing above the dining hall. Hovering above was another akuma victim with Rena Rouge, Carapace and Queen Bee surrounding it.

Emma glanced over to the entrance of the hall, seeing Adrien rush in; a blank expression adorning his face. He made eye contact with her in time for the other staff to begin evacuating students.

"We need to go," Adrien affirmed, grabbing Emma and Teo by the hand as he pulled them through the crowd. His grip remained remind tight around her hand longer than necessary.

"Why are you here?" Emma asked weakly, her voice shaky.

"I'm your Dad, of course I'm here," Adrien replied quickly, crossing the road as the trio rushed to the car.

"You haven't been here all week," Emma defended, causing Adrien to stop in his tracks.

He turned to face her, taken aback, "I've been busy."

Emma sighed, deciding to leave it where it was. Trying to get a straight answer from her dad was pointless and futile.

She followed him to the car, climbing in the back beside Teo. As they drove away, her attention turned the teal figure, climbing up the building.

Libellule pulled herself up onto the roof, panting as she joined the trio of superheroes. Rena and Bee gave her a look, most likely warning her about sticking her nose in other people's business.

"Do we have a plan?" Libellule asked, holding up the boom she had collected from a classroom on her way up.

"Not exactly," Carapace replied, forming a shield above the group as the akuma fired another shot. Another shot of what seemed to be footballs.

"I'm am Striker!" The akuma yelled, pointing at the group as another ball bounced off the shield. "My aim is perfection. How dare they kick me from the team."

The figure itself stood above the opening, stacks of balls surrounding him. His outfit was black and white, as expected, and his left foot twitched every time he pointed.

"Have you tried his foot?" Libellule shouted, turning her, and everyone else's, attention on the akuma's sneakers. "I know exactly what we need!"

In an effortless stretch, Libellule pressed her hand to the book and with a glow, it transformed into a goal. "Rena, distract him, Queen Bee with me!"

Simultaneously, Carapace let down his shield as Rena blew her flute and the two heroines jumped at the akuma. Queen Bee stunned the victim in time for Libellule to trap his foot in the miniature goal. It wasn't much longer until his shoe was in the air and Queen Bee was breaking it in half.

Carpace formed a shield, enclosing the butterfly as Rena captured it in yet another glass jar.

"Listen," Libellule started, crouching in front of the victim, "you'll figure it out. No matter how bad it gets, you always will."

The victim smiled, throwing his arms around the infamous heroine. She smiled blithely, hugging him back.

"You're already a fan favourite," Rena called, approaching Libellule with her hands on her hips; Bee and Carpace stood beside, arms crossed.

"I wanted to apologise for how I treated you yesterday. I've come to realise that this situation must be hard on you three too."

Rena nodded, smiling brightly, "I appreciate that. You should get out of here before you detransform."

Libellule nodded in agreement, taking off over the rooftops. The trio exchanged a look before heading their separate ways, Carpace and Rena heading to Adrien and Emma's home.

"What is it with you two and being in the centre of trouble?" Nino laughed, pulling Teo into a one-armed high as he grinned down at the pair.

"They remind me a lot of five people I used to know," Alya affirmed, glancing at Adrien as the two teens followed Teo outside, "do you not think?"

"She reminds me of her mother," Adrien replied with a snort, "so stubborn and mischievous."

Alya smiled back at Adrien warmly, "you mean she's persistent and reckless like you?"

"She reminds me more of Chat Noir than me," Adrien confessed, following Alya out of the house.

"I'm just glad she's not into puns," Alya joked, nudging Adrien in the arm. He rolled his eyes, feigning a glare.

"You two seem chipper," Nino stated with a nod, pointing between the two adults.

"I'm chipper for food," Alya laughed, opening the car door as she dropped her things inside. "What d'you think, paella or pizza?"

"Pizza," Teo spoke up; Alya's brows furrowed as she turned to face him. "As a teen, paella is by far too healthy of a dish," he explained, nonchalantly.

Emma shook her head, laughing, "paella is by far the best all-you-can-eat food. It not only tastes great, but you don't feel guilty for eating so much."

"Teenagers and their logic, am I right?" Adrien chuckled impishly.

"If my memory serves me right, you lived on Tom's leftover for at least a month," Nino countered, raising a brow.

"That was until Mari found out and threw me across the city for, and I quote, 'not eating right'" Adrien argued.

"Mum threw you across the city?" Emma questioned, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

Adrien stuttered over his words in reply, "I-I mean metaphorically. She didn't really throw me across the city."

Emma continued to watch her father closely, though the conversation was soon dropped as Alya and Nino announced their exit. Teo said his goodbyes to Emma before following suit and climbing into the car.

"I'm going to make a start on dinner," Adrien announced, following Emma into the house, "you should get started on your homework. You have a lot to catch up on this week."

Emma nodded in agreement, rushing upstairs as Adrien bee-lined for the kitchen. Soon enough she was slumping down beside her bed, frowning at the pile of work she had yet to complete.

Grabbing the first sheet, she noticed the tattered piece of paper sticking out from under the blanket. On it, written by a hand she didn't recognise, read 'Emilie'.

Cautiously, Emma opened the folded piece of paper, reading the printed newspaper article dated fourteen years ago; the day Ladybug disappeared. It was written by an old reporter named Nadiya Chamack, a woman of whom Emma had heard about in passing. Though, that wasn't the part that surprised Emma.

"Paris' Beloved Hero, Chat Noir, Defeated By Hawk Moth. But Chat didn't die?" Emma muttered, tracing her fingers against the bleeding ink. She read on: "In an act of courage and heroism, Chat Noir dove head first into danger, taking a lethal hit that would have otherwise penetrated Ladybug. Hawk Moth remains victorious whilst Paris mourns the loss of it's fallen soldier. As for Ladybug her whereabouts are unknown, but we can only assume she's working tirelessly to set the table straight and bring our city back to safety once more."

Emma frowned as she turned her attention to the hand written note below the article. The letters were messy and clearly rushed; the ink smudged.

"Emilie. My beautiful Emilie. If you're reading this it means I succeeded, therefore I need you to know that I'd never leave you if I had the choice to stay. You're my world. My precious bundle of warmth. You don't know it yet but you're destined for greatness; it's in your genes. But with that greatness comes responsibility. You're now the owner of a miracle box, a box containing priceless artifacts. You need to protect this at all costs, and no one can know about it. Not even your father. In return I'm gifting you my necklace. Use it well, Emma. I trust you. Love you always, Mum." Emma read aloud, sighing as her hands dropped to her lap. She dropped the letter in time to read the final part. "P.S, take it easy on your dad, I'm not the first loss he's encountered."

She looked up at the two items sat beneath the blanket, pulling the cloth and revealing the obscure shaped boxes. She took the smallest in her hand, assuming this was the gift she was supposed to use wisely.

Slowly, she removed the lid, staring down at the pendant with cloudy eyes. Along the rim of the locket was a crevice, one of which had caused the entire front half to break into two. And though it was being held together my the silver chain, the damage was more than obvious.

Emma brushed her fingers against the silver material, sighing woefully. Having lost her mother so young, it meant she hadn't received a gift that truly meant something. This necklace was the first, and most likely the last.

She picked up the letter again, beginning to reread the part about the box before Adrien begun shouting her name. In haste, she dropped the items on her bed, rushing downstairs to join her father for food.

The aroma of French soup assaulted her nose as she jumped down the last step, wiping her eyes dry before rushing into the kitchen. "Ooh, my favourite," Emma hums, smiling at Adrien as she slides into the chair opposite him.

He glances up at her, nodding slowly, "did you get much done?"

"Much of what done?" Emma asked half-mindedly, sipping on her soup.

"Your homework," Adrien affirms, to which Emma chokes of her soup a little.

"Oh, yeah, I was just tidying my floor so I had space."

Adrien nodded slowly, narrowing his eyes at Emma. If there was one thing he did know, it was when she was lying. This was one of those situations.

"What did you find?"

"What?" Emma asked, startled by his question.

"You're lying, so I can only assume you found something."

"Dad-" Emma started, though Adrien interrupted.

"It's about your Mum, isn't it?"

"I found an old photo of the two of you," Emma confessed, sighing deeply.

"Okay." Adrien replied, buying yet another lie. Emma sighed again, the guilt welling in her stomach. She had no choice. He wouldn't believe her if she start sprouting nonsense about Chat Noir's death. Especially not about some special box her Mum needed her to protect at all costs. "Just hurry up and drink your soup. It's getting cold."

Emma obeyed, shaking the thoughts from her head as she swallowed the last of the liquid. Unmasking the secrets of her mother's cryptic letters would have to wait another day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Episode 3! Just as Emma begins to uncover the truth, another curve ball is thrown in the mix. Lemme know what you think about the article! I wanna know all your theories :D


	4. S1/E4: Aklipt Invaders

Emma shot up in bed, panting forcefully. The necklace around her neck was burning against her chest as it glowed vehemently, engulfing her bedroom in a fierce white light. In a panic, she opened her mouth to call for Adrien, but no words escaped her throat. The tears began to stain her pasty cheeks as she screamed at the top of her lungs, her dry throat caustic. 

The blinding light intensified, causing her to clench her eyes shut. "Emma," the voice whispered, the warmth of another body engulfing her. Reassured by the familiar touch, she cautiously opened her eyes. Her mouth dropped in time for the figure opposite her to smile warmly. "Emma."

Emma took her time to appreciate the features of the woman perched on the end of her bed, finding some form of comfort in her presence. Her deep blue hair was almost alike to the dark shade Emma herself adorned, and her sky blue eyes were exactly as Aunt Alya had described them to be. 

"Mum," Emma breathed, throwing her arms around the woman mournfully.

"No," the woman pulled away in disdain, glaring at the girl. "This is all your fault."

"What? No! I didn't do anything!" Emma yelled, the flow of salty tears streaming once more. She pushed herself back into her pillows, horrified by the sight in front of her.

"This is your fault, Emma," the Chat Noir look-alike affirmed, scratching his sharp claws at her. 

"You're supposed to be the hero!" She cried, the blinding light emanating from her necklace once more. "You were supposed to save everyone!"

The figure shifted once more, "please don't be mad, Emma," Teo pleaded, pushing himself towards her as he took her hands in his own, "we're just trying to help."

"Run, Emma!" A voice echoed the room; Teo's expression hardened at the hoarse sound. "Run!"

Emma jumped up from her bed at the command, slamming her door shut behind her and she dashed down the hall. She tripped over, wincing at the sudden impact that never came. In fear, she pushed herself back but the body held her close. 

"Hey, hey, it was just a nightmare," Adrien assured, rocking Emma back and forth in his embrace. She melted into his arms, thankful. "You're safe now."

"Dad," Emma sighed, looking up at her father. He furrowed his brows, a dismal frown enhancing his aging features. "Dad, I-" Emma stopped herself, thinking back to the letter. She couldn't tell him, even if she wanted to. 

"What is it, Emma?"

"I dreamt I lost you," she lied, though the horror in her expression was real, "I don't ever want to lose you."

"You've got me, Emma," Adrien affirmed, a certain severity to his expression. "You'll always have me. But that doesn't mean I won't make you go back to bed. You need sleep if you're going to do this presentation tomorrow."

Emma frowned, "that's tomorrow?"

"You haven't shut up about it all week," he chuckled lightly, helping her up from the ground, "how about you stay with me for the rest of tonight, and then tomorrow we can check your dream catcher is still working."

"I'm not a kid, Dad," Emma defended, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Maybe not, but you'll always be my kid," Adrien declared with a nod, "plus, an old friend of mine still calls me kid and look how old I am."

"He's probably older," she suggested frankly.

"Much older," Adrien added with a smile. The two returned to bed after that, falling to sleep soon after. Well, Adrien at least. Emma remained awake, staring at the ceiling. A series of thoughts crossed her mind. Why was an article published about Chat Noir's death on the same day as Ladybug's disappearance? Why did her Mum write her a letter? Did that mean she knew she wasn't coming back? Who left the box in Emma's room, and why? And the biggest question of all; how did Ladybug and Chat Noir correlate with her parents.

The next morning couldn't come fast enough. Seen as though it was a group presentation, parents were invited to watch, which led to a not-so-eager-to-hear-about-the-disappearance-of-his-lady Adrien, and a tired Emma, crouched over a makeshift bench watching the first group run through their performance.

"In conclusion, aliens are real and we believe a colony attacked Paris almost two decades ago," the speaker of the group affirmed, the other students nodding in agreement.

"What I'm hearing is that you think Ladybug and Chat Noir, Paris' so-called heroes, were imposters," a voice retorted, to which Emma rolled her eyes, recognizing the voice, and Adrien raised a brow.

"That's what we're saying. You can't disagree that it's strange a group of magical people break out war against the city," another of the student defended.

"They broke out war against a villain who was attacking the city," Maelle argued bitterly, "if you'd listen to our presentation you'd learn that despite being our age when they started, Ladybug and Chat Noir had the sole intention of protecting our city."

"If that was the case then why did they unleash an illness on the city?" The first student shouted back, causing their mother to stand up in anger.

"Leo! How many times have I told you about these preposterous rumours?" The mother proclaimed, clearly unsettled by her son's perceptions.

"Okay, let's all calm down," Miss Allah stepped in, attempting to diffuse the situation. "We all need to be respectful of each other's theories. It's unclear as to what happened to Ladybug and Chat Noir, but we have other heroes now. We have to remain hopeful that their intentions are positive."

Adrien cringed at her words, sinking further into his chair. Emma noticed this, assuring herself it was due to his uncomfort when talking about the past. Though, when she looked closely, she noticed Alya, Nino and Chloe were each looking at Adrien with an expression of pity.

"This is stupid!" Leo yelled, the rest of his group unsettled. "We deserve to be heard!"

"Leo, we aren't-" Miss Allah started, only to be cut off by the piercing screech of 'akuma'. The whole class erupted into panic as parents rushed for their children and raised from the room. Though, that didn't stop Papillon. Emma watched from the floor as the four students chanted in synchronicity before transforming into alien-like villains. 

"We are Aklipt Invaders," the group crooned wickedly, "our voices will be heard."

"You don't need to do this!" Emma yelled from within the crowd of panicked civilians. Whether it was genetic or just plain old stupid, she felt the urge to diffuse the situation. "You don't need to reign terror on the city to have your voice heard! Not to prove a point to small-minded people!"

"That's where you're wrong, daughter of Paris. The entire city is small-minded," the villains laughed, reaching out for Emma. "But," they added, frowning. "Papillon wants to talk with you."

Emma stepped closer to the victims, the bitter realisation that, aside from her and Aklipt Invaders, the room was empty. Even her Dad had inevitably disappeared.

"Papillon says," they began, though in that second Emma found her feet raised from the floor. She clenched her eyes shut, screaming as she raced across the rooftops of Paris in the clutches of a not-so-unfamiliar figure.

"Chat Noir?" She breathed, falling to the floor, well, the roof, panting. "You're- why are you here?"

"Sometimes there's people you can't help but save," he confessed, smiling weakly.

"You're not what I expected," Emma affirmed, pushing herself up from the tiled ground. "You're different."

"We're all different, kid," Chat Noir assured, shrugging the thought, "there's a villain to catch."

Emma nodded slowly, waving to the infamous hero as he jumped across the rooftops of the city. She glanced around, attempting to find a way to the streets. Well, that was until the glowing.

Startled, she jumped backing, loosing her balance as she stumbled over the side of the roof. As fast as it happened, a small pressure thrusted against her back, pushing her back to safety. She fell to the ground, clinging to the tiles for dear life. 

"Sorry about that," a voice sounded, "it seems escaping the necklace wasn't as easy a task as I thought it'd be."

Emma froze, staring at the small figure, dumbfounded. The bird-like created hovered in front of her, a sheepish grin beaming against it's lips.

"You're-you-"

"Oh, right. My name is Kai and I'm the kwami of submission. It's great to finally meet you," the so-called kwami exclaimed, holding his miniature paw out towards Emma. She raised a brow, unsure as to how to proceed.

"You've been waiting to meet me?"

"Ever since Marinette first told me you'd be my owner almost fifteen years ago," he assured, whizzing around excitedly before freezing and staring Emma dead in the eye. "Did she not tell you?"

"No, no, she did. So you say you're the kwami of submission," Emma asked, to which the creature nodded, "what does that mean?"

"Well it means I can transform you into a superhero so you can fight for the protection of Paris. Your special ability is submission, so you have the power of persuasion."

Emma frowned, glancing over in the direction of the school, "so I can fight with Chat Noir?"

"And Ladybug, yes."

Emma's frown deepened once more. Maybe it would be best to wait until after the battle before breaking the news of Marinette and Ladybug's disappearance to the kwami.

"Are you ready, Miss Emma?"

"No," Emma gasped, pushing herself away, "I'm not a hero. I'm far from it. I'm just a kid."

"So was Ladybug when she first started," Kai replied, confused at Emma's refusal, "did Marinette not explain?" 

Emma shook her head slowly, which only caused Kai to get all the more eager, "well, Miss Emma, you're the daughter of strongest woman I've ever know. She united the miraculouses, you know. She was brave and strong-minded. Respected by everyone."

"Even Ladybug and Chat Noir?" Emma asked, feeling some form of responsibility to believe him.

"Even Ladybug and Chat Noir," Kai nodded, "I bet she's proud of you."

"We should hurry," Emma affirmed, standing up as she interrupted their previous conversation. Her sudden eagerness to accept her role sprouted from two things. The new found confidence in her mother, and the strong need to avoid breaking the news to Kia. "How do we transform?"

"All you need to say is 'wings soar'."

"Kai!" Emma shouted, punching her fist through the air, "wings soar." 

The blue light engulfed her and she felt her outfit changing around her. Her fingers traced the outline of the winged mask shielding her eyes, before she glanced down at the skin tight outfit adorning her body. Returning to the real world, Emma looked up at the sound of a loud crash coming from the school.

"Rena!" Carapace yelled, jumping at Rena whilst simultaneously activating his shield. She flinched, ducking behind her partner. 

"We need a plan!" She shouted back, directing the statement at the Libellule and Queen Bee, also, as they dodged an attack. "They're too powerful as one!"

"Maybe I can help," a voice perked up behind them, turning their attention to the black figure perched on the rooftop ledge.

"Chat Noir?!" Queen Bee gasped, running over excitedly, "I knew you'd change your mind!"

"I didn't," he replied, shuffling out of her grip, "I just had someone to save."

"Am I too late?" Another voice sounded, turning their attention to yet another new appearance. There was a mixture of reactions to say the least. Libellule stared at the hero in awe, Rena and Bee raised a brow before exchanging a look, Chat Noir ignored her presence and assessed the situation, all whilst Carapace attempted to keep them all shielded from hits. 

"Another miraculous holder?" Bee asked, stepping towards the heroine. "What's your name?"

"Em-Bird Bleu. I'm Bird Bleu," the hero assured, stumbling over her words.

"We've been there, done that," Rena interrupted, stepping back in line, "what's your power?"

"My kwami mentioned something about submission," Bird Bleu explained, still unsure of what that really meant.

Chat Noir sighed deeply, shaking his head, "tell them to stop attacking us."

"I don't think it works like that," Bird Bleu confessed, stepping forward all the same. The akuma stopped attacking watching the hero carefully. "Hi. I'm Bird Bleu and I want to help you. Will you let me help you?"

The akuma victims stared back at Bird Bleu blankly, before one of them stepped forward. She glanced back at the other heroes with a raised brow, but they shrugged, to which she took to say they had yet to see anything of the sort in their many years of fighting.

"I see you have received your miraculous," the akuma affirmed, nodding slowly, "your fifteen birthday most be approaching fast."

"How- how do you-"

"My name is Papillon. I've been waiting for you."

Bird Bleu frowned, uncomfort apparent in her expression, "who are you?"

"I am an old friend, Bird Bleu. You and I together can be trium-"

Bird Bleu jumped at the sight of the black cat thrusting forward into the victim, knocking the both of them to the ground. He snatched the clipboard from her hand, snapping it in half before Carapace captured the akuma.

"What was that?!" Bird Bleu yelled, pointing her hand at the destransformed victims.

"You distracted them, we defeated them," he replied, furrowing a brow, "what's the big deal?"

"We were talking!"

"You were falling for her trap."

"Why are adults so infuriating!" Bleu screamed, clearly angered by the situation, "have you ever thought that maybe your outdated ways no longer work?!"

"You're a kid."

"And so were you once, Chat Noir," she proclaimed, calming down a little, "so was Ladybug."

Libellule moved beside Bird Bleu, mustering the courage to confront the black cat too. "She's not wrong. Those students were akumatised because their voices weren't being heard," she explained, gesturing at the teens Carapace and Rena were comforting, "maybe it's time to listen."

"I think what the girls are trying to say is that their powers combined allow them to defeat an akuma in a different way to us," Queen Bee assured, stepping in to diffuse Chat Noir's anger, "we use our powers in a different way than you both and that's fine. I think overall they're just glad you're back.

"I'm not back," Chat retorted, narrowing his eyes at Bee, "the suit makes me sick. I can't erase her from my mind."

"You girls should get back to school," Rena assured, shooting a nod in the direction the other students had run off in. The two heroines exchanged a look before reluctantly agreeing and running off to transform.

"I can't do this," Chat confessed, frowning, "the only reason I transformed was because Plagg was pestering me about Emma."

"Adrien," Carapace started, "I hate to be frank but soon enough you won't have a choice. The akuma's are getting closer to the kids. It's like they're being targeted. Emma and Teo especially."

"What am I supposed to do, Nino? She haunts me enough as it is."

Rena frowned, "she haunts us all."

The group exchanged a final look, confirming Rena's statement. The day of the battle truly did haunt of the heroes, and most likely would for the rest of their lives. There was no erasing the past. No matter how hard you try.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drama? Yep. Romance? Definite yes. Kai? Already my favourite person. Emma? In for a rocky ride. What do you think about her superhero persona? She's very much inspired by Chat Noir, so here's hoping they get past the arguing and become friends. Let me know what you think. I've got a special chapter in the works for episode five, so we might be seeing a little less of Emma and a little more of our favourite bug.


	5. S1/E5: Origins: The Final Battle

The needle pushed through the silky fabric effortlessly, enabling for Marinette to sew a final knot in order to call the dress completed. She stepped back from the mannequin, beaming brightly at the cloud white dress. It was a wedding for none other than a princess in a neighbouring country. As if Marinette wasn't already proud enough to have her work recognized on such a level, her family were even prouder. 

On cue, her new-born daughter began crying from the room beside the studio, most likely hungry after her long nap. Marinette rushed next door, scooping her daughter from the crib in one swift motion before sauntering off towards the kitchen. Soon enough she had a bottle in hand and was bouncing the baby girl, the sun setting in the horizon. Marinette focused on the sunset, hesitantly turning to face the window like she expected a certain kitty to climb through.

"Hey, Kitty," she crooned, skipping over her husband of six years and the father of her baby.

"You're meow-vellous, Bugaboo," he hummed, pressing a kiss to her cheek. She raised a brow, seeing straight through his facade.

"Akuma attack?"

"I'm afraid so," he whispered, nodding towards their sleeping baby. Marinette smiled weakly, pressing a kiss to her daughter's head.

"I'll leave Emma with Manon," Marinette assured, pushing a kiss to Chat's lips, "I love you, Adrien."

"I love you too, always," he replied, shooting a smirk in her direction before diving through the window and disappearing into the streets of Paris. After that, Marinette kicked into action. As much as she knew what she need to do, the reminder of this being her only chance circled her thoughts. She couldn't mess this up. Not now.

Rushing around the house with a sleeping baby slumped over her shoulder, she collected a series of things. A large ovular box, two smaller hexagonal boxes, and two letters. Grabbing the baby bag and an extra bottle too, Marinette called out her infamous phrase, transforming into Ladybug as she jumped over the rooftops of Paris. She stumbled into Manon's place, dropping the series of items at the foot of the bed.

"Already?" Manon frowned, standing up from the bed as she moved to take the baby.

"I have to do this," Ladybug insisted, a certain severity to her tone, "this is the only way."

"I'm not sure it's the only way, as much as it's the way to save Chat Noir," Manon countered, raising a brow.

"You've known me long enough to know I'm doing this for Paris."

"You're abandoning your baby," Manon argued, glancing down at the innocent child. Ladybug nodded slowly, pressing a final kiss to her forehead before handing her over to Manon.

"No need to make this harder than it already is," she began, shaking the uneasy feeling, "you know the plan. I trust you, Manon."

"He'll never forgive you for this," Manon shouted after Ladybug as she climbed from the window.

"He'll never know," Ladybug replied, reassuring herself that the final steps to her plan were right. That her next actions, as dangerous as they may be, would be for the better. Worst case scenario, her daughter would grow up with a father, and Chat Noir would be alive. Win-win, right? Inevitably reaching the battle, Ladybug stood above it, snatching her yo-yo from her waist as it began buzzing. "Kitty?" She answered, feigning a smile at the sight of his tired face.

"Is Emma safe?" He asked, the vivid deja-vu engulfing her. The nausea caused her head to spin.

"She's fine," Ladybug assured, "what's it like down there?"

"It's bad, M'lady. I don't know how we're going to do it."

"I have a plan," Ladybug nodded slowly, once again attempting to reassure herself, "it'll work."

"Just get down here, we could use you."

Ladybug obeyed, jumping down from the roof in time to shield Queen Bee from an attack. The two exchanged a look of gratitude before commencing the fight. With villains surrounding them, they hand no choice but to fight their way out. It was almost alike to the battle back when Hawk Moth had figured out how to boost his powers, only this time they were stronger, and so was he.

Chat Noir pressed his hand to the floor, rupturing the ground beneath the akumas with his cataclysm. Queen Bee pranced through the mass of bodies, stunning each of them before the group rushed in and destroyed each of their miraculous. Another perk to the future was the power upgrades. Ladybug approached the group, encasing the butterflies in her magical yo-yo before releasing them at once. This was a signature move of Ladybug's, one of which brought hope and confidence to the citizens of Paris, in both their heroes and themselves.

Each household felt reassured by the action. The Dupain-Cheng's watched the television in admiration as they welcomed people into their bakery for food. The Kubdel's ushered people inside the museum, away from the fatal hits of Hawk Moth. Alix Kubdel watched the heroes proudly. Max Kante, Mylene Haprele and Ivan Bruel each hovered around a phone, fist bumping one another before returning to helping injured people to safety.

The biggest question was the reason why Ladybug hadn't called in reinforcements, but her short answer insisted the heroes were a greater help on the ground, rather than in the battlefield. Plus, her plan didn't permit it.

"Are you ready to give up yet?" Hawk Moth's voice echoed the court where the heroes stood, having rushed the akuma victims to safety.

"Never!" Chat Noir yelled back, charging forward only for Ladybug to pull him back by the tail-like belt. He raised a brow, only for her to point towards the army of soldiers charging towards them in the opposite direction. As hard as that sounded, behind them was a wall on the largest akumatised victims in history. If you thought Gigantitan was big before, you should see him now. "Always saving the day, M'lady," Chat crooned, pressing a quick peck to her cheek before assuming his position beside her. The other three followed suit, forming a circle of protection.

"When does that plan of yours take action?" Rena Rouge shouted at Ladybug, who looked sceptically towards the Eiffel Tower. 

"It'll work," she assured, nodding slowly, "it has to work."

The band of heroes began attacking the akumatised victims, detransforming them one at a time. As feelings of hope began to return, Hawk Moth used his power up against the group and retransformed them all. Rena Rouge fell to the ground in exhaustion, Carapace huddling beside her as they plotted how to proceed.

"Ladybug?" Queen Bee asked, drawing the attention of the panicking hero, "excuse my scepticism, but what is the plan here?"

"I have a plan," she insisted, dodging a hit from an akuma, "it will work. I trust her."

"You trust who?" Chat Noir perked up, finding himself beside his lady. She shrugged the question off, thrusting her hands forward, to what seemed to be at no prevail. Whatever she was trying wasn't working. She groaned, pushing herself up from the floor.

"They'll be here," she repeated, attempting to remain hopeful.

"Who will be here?" Chat Noir replied, pushing for answers. She winced at his bitter tone, unsure of what else to say.

"I have a contact," she replied skeptically.

"You have a contact?" Chat yelled, dodging a hit from an akuma, "what is your plan?!"

"It's not that simple, Chat," she called back, grabbing his hand as she thrusted her arms forward once more. Instinctly, he followed suit, only this time to both of them ended up on the floor. "Why won't it work?!"

"You either start telling me answers, or I get them for myself," Chat Noir threatened, to which Ladybug shook her head. At this, he began charging at the crowd of akuma victims.

"Stay with me!" Ladybug shouted, pulling Chat Noir back again. He turned to face her dejectedly.

"What aren't you telling me?" He asked frankly, a familiar sadness to his tone, "you're acting weird so clearly there's something you're not telling me."

"Please," Ladybug pleaded, holding his hand in desperation, "follow the plan."

"Tell me the truth."

She shook her head, the cold tears staining her cheeks. Chat's expression turned and he pulled from her grip, running towards the Eiffel Tower. She raced after him, abandoning the other heroes as the vivid memory began to play out.

"Kitty!" She screamed, thrusting her hands towards him. He was pushed back by a strong beam of light, knocking him back to the foot of the tower. "They should have been here," she breathed, dropping to her knees as she kept him pinned back against metal.

"Ladybug?"

"I tried, Kitty," she confessed, her frown deepening. "I tried so hard."

"Marinette! Tell me what's happening!" Chat Noir yelled, sending a cataclysm through the air at no avail. There was no escaping the miraculous chains. Even he couldn't figure out where Ladybug had learned her ability tricks.

"It has to be me," she nodded, forcing a smile as the tears streamed down her cheek, "it has to be me."

"Stop this!" Chat demanded, he too crying. Maybe he experienced deja-vu. Or maybe the uncharacteristic actions of his wife were unsettling.

"I love you," she pushed, a blinding white light seeping from her earrings. Hawk Moth's laugh could be heard from the distance, but the heroes chose to ignore it. "I will always love you."

Before another word could be uttered, Ladybug was fully engulfed by the beam, shouting a ray of lightning in every direction. Hawk Moth was silenced and his akumas destransformed. Everything seemed at ease, other than the sight Chat Noir beheld.

Finally break free, he skid over to the lifeless body on the floor, taking her in his arms. He held her close, pressing his lips to her head as he pleaded her to wake up.

"Come on," he sobbed, rocking back and forth, "wake up. Emma's counting on you. Wake up."

Hiding his head beneath the locks of her loose blue hair, he tried to ignore the presence of civilians as they crowded around the scene. Queen Bee, Rena and Carapace dropped down in front of him, each watching in disbelief.

"Come on," Chat Noir whispered, pressing his fingers to her throat for a pulse, at no prevail. Just as Carapace stood up to evacuate the area, a smaller, bluer light shone through the space beneath the Eiffel Tower. Chat Noir turned to face the figure, his vision cloudy.

"I'm too late," was all the figure could say, dropping to their knees in disbelief. "I'm too late."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's shorter than the others, but anymore Ladynoir and my heart might implode. Assuming there's still people reading, comments will be greatly appreciated. I wanna know what you guys think. Bug out, because I've always wanted to say that.


End file.
